From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Friday stumbled on a vital information that may hamper the free flow of redesigned naira notes into the public in Oyo State, eleven days to the deadline set by the apex bank for old naira notes of N200, N500, and N1000 to cease to be legal tenders in the country.
The information was given to the CBN when a delegation of apex bank, led by a deputy director in charge of Other Financial Institutions Department (OFISD), Mr. Arogundade Abayomi, stormed Iseyin, a community that is above 70 kilometres to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to sensitise the Oke-Ogun people to accept the naira notes, and take their old notes to banks before the January 31, 2023 deadline.
The revelation came as CBN delegations paid sensitisation visits to major markets in Ibadan, including Dugbe, Aleshinloye, Bodija and Gbagi, apart from other zones of the state.
In Ibadan, The CBN, on Friday, ordered banks in Oyo State to load their Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) with new notes. The CBN Controller of Ibadan branch, Mrs Folake Ogundero, gave the order in Ibadan, during a sensitisation and awareness campaign to New Gbagi Market. The CBN, she said, had made available adequate newly redesigned naira notes to all banks, not only in Oyo, but throughout the federation.
The Ikolaba of Iseyin, High Chief Ismail Odubiyi, gave the information to the CBN delegation during the sensitisation tour of the community held at the premises of Aseyin palace. He stated that “the commercial banks that we have in Iseyin were running full day operations before the #EndSARS crisis of October 2020. After the #EndSARS palaver, the banks in Iseyin have been closing between 12noon and 1pm daily.
“Also, the banks don’t load much money in their Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). From Monday to Friday, the money they have been loading in their ATMs would be exhausted either by 12noon or 1pm or 2pm. So, we appeal to CBN delegation that came to Iseyin to prevail on the commecial banks to return to normal operatives.
“Before the #EndSARS crisis, the community was the one providing security for the banks to complement efforts of state actors. So, we are reassuring the banks now that there won’t be any problem. The community would support the banks in the area of provision of security.
“Another issue that the community has with the banks is that the traditional council has received many complaints about their Closed Circuit Television (CCTV). At times, the banks would say the CCTV did not work when account owners launched complaints about withdrawal or transfer of money from their accounts. According to our people, the banks would say the CCTV captured the back of the culprit whenever they admitted that the CCTV worked. So, we are using this medium to appeal to CBN to kindly intervene.”
The deputy director of CBN, Arogundade Abayomi, who responded on behalf of the apex bank, the delegation was in Iseyin for a sensitisation on the newly redesigned naira notes, stated that all and sundry would agree with him that the complaints made by the community were capable of affecting the objectives of the new naira notes
“If the people are to go to banks to send in their old naira notes and collect new naira notes from ATMs, and the banks have closed by 12noon. This means, the people won’t have enough time to take their money to banks before the deadline. This is directly related to our mandate in Iseyin.”
He added that the delegation would meet the branch managers of the banks in the community and find out the allegations from the banks. He stated that the affected bank must have reasons for their actions and that a crucial meeting that would involve the banks and the community would be organised towards finding solutions to challenges. He also said the delegation would write its reports tk the management of the apex bank on the sensitisation tour and the complaints, as well as responses of the banks.
